Gestalt philosophy: “The whole is other than the sum parts” -Kurt Koffka
Gestalt principals: Predictable ways by which we organize sensory information.
Law of proximity
We interpret objects that are close to each other as a group
Law of similarity
We interpret objects that are visually similar to each other as a group
Law of closure
When parts of a picture are missing, we fill in the visual gap
Law of symmetry
We perceive objects as being symmetrical, arranged around a center point
Law of common fate
We group objects that we percieve to be moving along the same path
Law of continuity
We tend to group objects along the smoothest path
Gestalt Hierarchy
Effect
Graphs
Enclosure
Facets
Connection
Lines
Proximity
White space
Similarity
Color/shape
Perception
Some things are processed slower1
Other’s are incredibly fast1
Fast = “pre-attentive processing”
Things that happen in <200ms of visual stimulation
Performed in parallel across the entire visual field
Get ready
What did you see?
“An understanding of what is processed pre-attentively is probably the most important contribution that visual science can make to the data visualization” (Ware, 2004, p. 19)
Pre-attentive features1
Color (hue)
Orientation
Intensity
Clustering
Size
Length
and more!
Pre-attentive processing facilitates:
Target detection (Presence or absence)
Boundary detection / grouping
Region tracking
Counting and estimation
Attentive Counting1
Pre-attentive Counting1
Graphical Perception
Cleveland and McGill, 1984
The following are the 10 elementary tasks in Figure 1, ordered from most to least accurate:
Position along a common scale
Positions along nonaligned scales
Length, direction, angle
Area
Volume, curvature
Shading, color saturation
Magnitude estimation1
Magnitude estimation1
Magnitude estimation1
“Apparent” magnitude1
Implications for Practice
Know how we perceive groups
Know that we perceive some groups before others
Design to facilitate and emphasize the most important comparisons
Case Study on Gestalt Principles1
body_loc
swim_loc
time
avg_temp
cheek
indoor
pre
95.2
cheek
indoor
post1
84.3
cheek
indoor
post2
86.2
elbow
indoor
pre
95.4
elbow
indoor
post1
89.1
elbow
indoor
post2
91.4
palm
indoor
pre
91.7
palm
indoor
post1
84.1
palm
indoor
post2
89.3
pec
indoor
pre
93.3
pec
indoor
post1
84.2
pec
indoor
post2
87.6
cheek
outdoor
pre
76.0
cheek
outdoor
post1
53.0
cheek
outdoor
post2
61.6
elbow
outdoor
pre
92.5
elbow
outdoor
post1
61.9
elbow
outdoor
post2
80.6
palm
outdoor
pre
74.6
palm
outdoor
post1
48.6
palm
outdoor
post2
58.5
pec
outdoor
pre
87.2
pec
outdoor
post1
52.9
pec
outdoor
post2
69.6
4 body locations
x 2 swim locations
x 3 time points
= 24 body temperature averages
Questions
Client Question
Does the body temperature recovery as recorded at the four body points depend on water temperature?
Consultant Questions
What are the elemental groupings? (What belongs together?)
How do we design for effective emphasis?
What are the elemental groupings?
Does the body temperature recovery as recorded at the four body points depend on water temperature?
What are the elemental groupings?
Does the body temperature recovery as recorded at the four body points depend on water temperature?
What are the elemental groupings?
Most elemental
Single time average
Time Triplets
Swim locations (aka water temp)
Body locations
Least elemental
Does the body temperature recovery as recorded at the four body points depend on water temperature?
The graph is meant to demonstrate that the 2011 to 2012 increase observed in total new marriages was driven primarily by an increase in those having a bachelor’s degree or more.
To do
Data and Methods + Table
due Thursday, 5/4
You will need to include your statistical methods.
